Many people in the United States, and most modern countries, have a certain fascination, if not addiction, to college and professional sports of almost all types. Basketball, in particular, is a very popular sport with a large number of recreational players and even larger following of enthusiastic spectators. The enthusiasm for basketball carries over into daily life, even into work place routine. Most people can obtain a certain satisfaction when successfully tossing an object into a designated goal whether it be a regulation basketball into a regulation goal or a crumpled ball of waste paper into a waste basket.
A number of relatively sophisticated and expensive basketball related game products have been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,292 to Cohen et al. discloses a coin operated basketball game including side-by-side baskets, shooting alleys, and ball return channels. Automatic scoring and other features are included. To register scores, three alternate approaches are described: (1) a photoelectric sensing system suspended from the back of the hoop, (2) a single microswitch with a long sensing finger mounted to extend within the perimeter of the hoop, or (3) a plurality of microswitches mounted around the perimeter of the hoop so as to contact a ball passing therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,999,233 to Dresbach et al. discloses a complex photodetecting system for timing a basketball game wherein a source and lens mounted on the backboard focus light onto a reflector mounted inside the hoop. The light reflected from the reflector is directed to a receiver also mounted on the backboard. The photodetecting system draws electrical power whenever the goal is turned on. A ball passing through the hoop will interrupt the light beam to activate the associated electronic circuitry.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,534,067 discloses a height adjustable basketball goal which may be mounted to the tops of a doors, chairs, fences, and the like. The goal includes a pivotally mounted lever arm connected to a disk extending into the cylinder of the net. The mechanically cumbersome lever arm cooperates with a switch to flash an electrical light on when a shot is made.
The assignee of the present invention has developed and marketed an upscale electronic basketball goal that may be mounted indoors, such as over a door or on a self-supporting pole. The goal is marketed under the trademark HERO HOOPS. The upscale indoor basketball goal includes electronic timing and score keeping functions and displays, as well as sound effects, such as cheering and applause generated by a microprocessor-based control circuit. Scoring, or a made shot, is sensed by a spring-loaded, pivotally mounted elongate arm which extends into the cylinder formed by the basketball net. When the soft leatherette basketball supplied with the game passes through the net, the arm is moved downwardly thereby activating an electrical switch mounted adjacent the backboard. The electrical switch activates the scoring increment and certain preprogrammed sound effects.
The mechanical and electrical, or optical approaches described above for sensing a made shot cause such basketball novelty goals to be relatively complicated and, therefore, expensive to manufacture.
At the other extreme of sophistication, several novelty basketball goal products have been developed to address the desire of many people to take a simulated basketball shot by tossing a crumpled wad of waste paper into a waste basket. For example, a relatively small novelty backboard and basket adapted to be mounted on the rim of a waste basket has been marketed and sold as the Deluxe Waste.cndot.Basket.cndot.Ball.TM. by Poynter Products, Inc. of Cincinnati Ohio and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,244,420 to Poynter. The Deluxe Waste.cndot.Basket.cndot.Ball.TM. includes no special sound effects or other distinguishing features that provide positive feedback to the shooter for a made basket.
Basketball related amusement products have been developed that are either sophisticated and expensive, or affordable but providing no user feedback. However, the prior art does not provide an intermediate range product that is affordable and still provides user feedback. Applicant is unaware of any novelty basketball goals produced by other individuals or companies that recognize or address the need for such a product.